Fast Facts:
- 2019 McClean Vineyards, Love Red Blend, Paso Robles, California ($11.49 @Costco in California – Item #1528847)
So I admit that it was the “packaging” that stopped me in my tracks for this wine. I am so shallow sometimes. In lieu of a traditional paper label, this wine comes in a gorgeous silk-screened bottle, with a really cool stopper, man. (See below.)
But once the eye candy had entranced me, I felt in love with the back label. Not only the location of origin (Paso Robles, which rocks for high QPR red wines) but also its eclectic blend of six grape varieties not commonly seen intermingled since the days of field blends. What? You’ve never heard of field blends?!
About Field Blends
Field blends refer to the now almost unheard of practice of co-mingling a bunch of different grape varieties into one vineyard, badly or almost entirely unsegregated. The grower/vintner would simply dump all the grapes into the same hopper and – voila! – a field blend.
Tasting Notes:
This blend shows roasted black plum, Concord grape, bramble and rustic tones of earth and pepper on the nose. Flavors of woody blackberries, red fruits and faint toasted oak.
GSM+Z+CSM
About that “field blend.” It’s actually a blend of 22% Syrah, 17% Zinfandel, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Grenache, 9% Malbec, and 8% Mourvedre. Think of it as a GSM with some Zin and Bordeaux varieties thrown in for good measure.
Given the predominance of Syrah and Zinfandel in the mix, I was expecting the wine to be more of a brooding opaque pour. But it poured a lovely light purple and the wine itself was light, in a good way. There is very little evidence of a heavy new oak regimen for this wine, which is also a good thing. This is a restrained, and refreshing red blend, which is increasingly rare in California. If I tasted this blind, I probably would have guessed that it was a mountain fruit Zinfandel from, say, Amador County. This is a great food wine and would pair well with charcuterie, red sauce pastas, pizza and all forms of BBQ.
Then there is the price. This is a really nice wine for being under $12. My trap line has me back at Costco in the next 24 hours, and I would Love to find that my local Costco still has this little gem in stock. I wish you good luck in your hunting as well.
Need More Wine Picks from Costco – or Trader Joe’s Even?
If your wine shopping excursions land you in Costco, prepare by grazing our most recent reviews of Costco wines here in our Lucky 13 list.
And if your shopping finds you at Trader Joe’s, you can find our Lucky 13 list of TJ’s wine here.
Happy hunting.
Cheers!